Monday, October 31, 2011

Obama's feckless leadership

In foreign policy, as in domestic, a president can do damage that lasts for decades. While it is easy to imagine Pres. Obama's support of Islamist rebels in Libya and Egypt having disastrous consequences for years to come, there are other problems. In an interview with the Washington Post, Jordan's King Abdullah explains another more subtle lesson associated with Obama's leadership:

Washington Post:Do you and other leaders in this area believe you cannot rely on the U.S.?

Jordan’s King Abdullah II: I think everybody is wary of dealing with the West. . . . Looking at how quickly people turned their backs on Mubarak, I would say that most people are going to try and go their own way. I think there is going to be less coordination with the West and therefore a chance of more misunderstandings.

By turning so quickly on Mubarak, a long-time US ally, President Obama demonstrated that the US cannot be trusted. As future US presidents come and go, a lesson like that is one middle-east leaders will likely remember.